The Arkansaw traveler., 1887-12-31
How Jef Davis Was Arrested,
Admission Ala.l SpeclaI.

How Ieff Davis Was Arrested.
 Annis,ou (Alal spee.sl
 Jefferson Davis has had a good many narrow escapes, but one of them has never been told in print, and the chief actor in the affair has never cared to talk about It. Somewhere along in the tifties the Mobiles, an English fam ily residing In Pennsylvania, decided to move southward. They selected Rome, Ga, as their objective point, and started on their journey, after making the necessary disposition of their goods.
 The Nobles had some family jewels, and about $4 ,000 in cash. How tu carry these articles safely bothered them not \ little, but they packed the money and jewels in an old fashioned English hand chest, and took them along. The travellers landed at Charleston and took the next train for their destination. Some extra fare was demanded, and In paying 1t they had to open their chest and ex- pose their treasure Sharp eyes were on the watch, and the glitter of the contents of the chest attracted atten- tion.
 1 As matter of precaution the chest was confined to Miss Mary Noble who sat in secluded section of the car with her back to the door Al Branchyille, $. C., two gentlemen boarded the train. One was young wiry man, and the other was tall and slender, past the meridian of life, and of distinguished appearance.
 When Augusta was reached the two strangers went on to Atlanta, and tho Nobles discovered that their precious chest was missing. The conductor wa clamorously appealed to, and he in- stantly gave 1t as his opinion that tho ''one-eyed man had stolen it,"
 "He's bad looking fellow" said the conductor.
 The chest had evidently beer snatchcd out of the rear window oI the car, as the suspected man took his departure at a moment when Mis- Noble's attention was fixed In some other direction.
 After consultation 1t was decided that Mrs. Noble and Miss Mary should proceed to Atlanta and cause the arrest of the supposed thief, while Mir. Noble and the others remained In Augusta awaiting, not very conf dently, the result.
 Mrs. Noble succeeded In tracing the two men to their stopping place In Atlanta, and identified them as soon as she saw them. At her request they were arrested and carried to police headquarters, where the astonishing discovery was made that the "one- eyed man" was President Pierce's sec retary of war, Jefferson Davis, and hi' companion was his private secretary
 Mir. Davis was in good hnmor, and of course the two gentlemen were at once released with many apologies.
 Before leaving, Mir. Davis told Mrs Sobie sBd her daughter that he re. grctted their loss, and he rendered them a twenty dollar gold piece AS Al evidence of his sympathy. Mrs. Noble declined to accept the gift, but Mis- Mary spoke up and said:
 "Yes, take It. That is some of our money that the old rascal tookw
 Mir. Davis smiled and pressed tho money upon Mrs. Noble, who finally took it and carried 1t to her husband in Augusta.
 Suspicion was then directed to tho conductor, but his sudden death In thu course of few days stopped further investigation.
 After the election of Mir. Davis td the presidency of the southern Con. fetieracy, Ar. Noble, then prosper ous contractor, visited him at Mont. gomery and talked with him about manu ufacturing cannon.
 Mir. Davis asked him several ques- tions, and then referred to the loss ol the chest. He introduced Mir. Noble to Mrs. Davis and told the story oi the arrest Mrs. Davis laughed heartily over the incident and, with her husband, took quite All interest ib the Aobles from that time.
 Noble went to work and made hun dreds of cannon for the Confcderacy Later he founded and built up tho fourishing city of ADDiston, in Ala bama. In the midst of his prosperity he is still devoted to the "one-eyed man" who was once supposed to bs the author of his greatest misfortune